1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to troughs and channels for bundling, routing and protecting elongate members.
2. Related Art
Wire harnesses used in vehicles typically need to be routed within troughs or channels to properly direct and maintain the wire harness in its intended location, and to protect the wire harness from unwanted exposure. The known troughs are commonly made from extruded and injection molded plastics, and thus, are relatively rigid and inflexible. In addition, being extruded, the troughs have a constant cross-sectional profile, and thus, are not able to adapt in size and shape between neighboring areas. Accordingly, multiple troughs having different configurations are sometimes used to support and guide a single wire harness. Other structural and semi structural components, especially for the automotive industry, are also formed via extrusion and injection molding processes and made from petroleum-based materials, such as plastics. These end products, in addition to having a uniform, rigid cross-section, have a high weight-to-strength ratio. In addition to, and contributing to weight issues, injection molding processes typically come with inherent limitations on how thin finish parts can be, due in large part to the gates required in injection molding processes to allow the molten material to flow throughout the mold cavity. Further limitations exist in the ability to customize the physical properties of a finish product throughout different regions of the product when made of relatively rigid plastics or metal materials, which can inhibit the ability of the finished product to provide a combination of rigidity, softness and flexibility desired over different regions of the product often desired in some applications. Industries, including the automotive, aircraft and aerospace industries in particular, are constantly looking to reduce weight and increase strength of parts, and thus, are looking for high strength-to-weight ratio structural materials. This is being driven largely by the need to produce lighter vehicles, which in turn result in increased fuel and performance efficiencies. Further yet, industry is continually looking for structural materials that are environmentally friendly and/or reusable, such that their end of life does not result in a negative impact on the environment.